Dirk Van Dongen NAW President and CEO announces retirement
Dirk Van Dongen to lead the Association through November 2020
After 41 years of leading the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, Dirk Van Dongen, its President & CEO, announced today that he will step down on November 30, 2020, the end of the association’s current fiscal year. Van Dongen will also retire as President of the NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence, Treasurer of NAW-PAC, and President & CEO of the NAW Service Corporation. Until then he will continue to lead these organizations and will assist the NAW Board leadership in the search for a new CEO.
Dirk Van Dongen
“What a great industry! America’s wholesaler-distributors have given the United States the world’s absolute best distribution system. They are why what you need is always there. Representing them has been a totally fulfilling experience as well as a genuine privilege,” said Van Dongen. “It’s now time to put the leadership of NAW into new hands. My successor will inherit a highly qualified and dedicated staff team and I look forward to a smooth and seamless transition.”
“Dirk has built a strong foundation for NAW. He has driven leadership, innovation, and excellence in our industry. His contributions throughout the business community will always be remembered. It’s been a privilege to be part of the organization and work alongside Dirk. I’m proud to continue growing his legacy,” said Douglas W. York, President & CEO of Ewing Irrigation & Landscape Supply, and 2020 Chairman of the NAW Board of Directors.
The NAW Board has retained Spencer Stuart to assist with the CEO search.
The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) is composed of direct member companies and a federation of international, national, regional, state and local associations and
their member companies, which collectively total more than 30,000 employers, with locations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. NAW-affiliated companies are a constituency at the core of our economy—the link in the marketing chain between manufacturers and retailers, and commercial, institutional and governmental end-users. Industry firms vary widely in size, employ more than 5.9 million American workers and account for $6.01 trillion in annual U.S. economic activity.
NAW’s mission is to advocate its members’ interests on national public policy issues that affect the entire wholesale distribution industry. NAW assists merchant wholesaler-distributors to be the most efficient channel for bringing goods to market through benchmarking, strategic management information, networking, and high-level conferences. NAW serves as a mechanism, through our
Association Executives Council, for the sharing of ideas, programs, and skills among the organization’s member national associations.
The NAW Political Action Committee advances the election of pro-business candidates to federal office and mobilizes the involvement of wholesaler-distributors in the federal electoral process
through financial contributions and political education activities, including candidate endorsements and get-out-the-vote programs.
The NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence sponsors and disseminates research into strategic management issues affecting the wholesale distribution industry and aims to help the merchant
wholesaler-distributors remain the most effective and efficient channel in distribution.
The NAW Service Corporation sponsors industry-wide service and product offerings that benefit wholesaler-distributors.
